Thursday, August 10, 2017

Press Release: Charlotte’s last hole birdie is a title winner

Italy's Charlotte Cattaneo birdied the last to win the English U14 girls' open championship by a stroke at Blackmoor Golf Club, Hampshire.

"It's fantastic, I'm very, very happy," said the 13-year-old from Milan. She shot one-under 71 today for a total of four-over in the championship, which was reduced to 36 holes after yesterday's second round was washed out.

Cattaneo, who moved 10 places up the leaderboard today, won by a stroke from her Italian team-mate Adreina D'Angelo and Spain's Marta Lopez Echevarria.

She's the second Italian player to win one of England's major junior titles, following the success of Andrea Romano in the U18 boys' Carris Trophy last month.

She also follows Italy's 2014 winner of this trophy, Emilie Paltrinieri, who went on to win the 2016 British girls' championship.

Cattaneo started the final round five shots behind the leader but made up ground with steady play around the course, reaching the turn in level par and coming home in one-under, with that championship winning birdie on the last.

"The putter was really hot, I had a lot of good putts and my drives were always in the fairway," she said.

This is Cattaneo's first trip to England and she adds this victory to her win in the 2016 Italian U12 championship.

The other championship prize winners were Spain's Ana Pina Ortega, who was fourth on six-over; and Elodie Nuvoloni of France, who was fifth on seven-over.

Three English girls won the handicap prizes: Lilli Horn of Ferndown, Dorset; Lille-Beau Thorpe of Cowdray Park, Sussex; and Rafiah Banday of Royal Mid-Surrey.